The Great White Lion

Chapter 27: Comfortable Darkness (END)

"I know this must be hard for you, Your Highness, but I do ask you to let us do our job to heal your mother." Savanna, the most experienced healer in the camp, shook her hands to the corner of the room where a chair lay. The woman refused to move until Noble had calmed his worry, so she could finally do her work.

"Why must she act so ill when she has no scratch on her body?" Noble sighed as he slipped into the wooden chair he was appointed to. One minute, he was enjoying time with his daughter, the next, his mother had finally been found in shambles outside the camp.

"Her wounds are internal." Savanna informed, her hand hovering over his mother's stomach, "She has suffered a fall of great distance."

"How could someone fall that far when no cliff was near her location?"

"It must be of earlier injuries or by the use of teleportation magic. That kind can give you a bruise in no time." Savanna turned her head to Noble before pointing to the flap of the tent, "I ask you to leave, so I may check her fully. Even if you are her son, she has to have her privacy from a man."

Noble huffed before standing to his feet and walking out of the tent. Raja and Lina have yet to be seen, so they might be still in the tent embracing each other. He didn't feel the need to interrupt something so important. It was no use to go back to the tent. Nothing there that pegged his interests to distract himself.

"Why must this happen to me?" Noble asked himself. He found himself walking into the shrubbery of the forest with deep breaths. If leaving his mother and Savanna helped her in the most efficient way, then so be it. He was going to calm his nerves elsewhere. So much had happened in just one day of being here at the camp.

Noble was tired. He was oh so tired. The wounds of travel poked at his aching limbs. His head feeling as light as a feather from what went down not even an hour before. He felt his silver eyes begin to water as he approached a stream coming from the lake not too far from his position. He shrugged off the heaviness of his armor only to scream and throw across the way. These pent up emotions were finally beginning to release.

He clouded his mind. He didn't want his lion to track him down in his current mental state. He was better off with Lina, spending time with him.

Noble could remember just how much she loved Raja more than him.

Noble wiped his face and tore off his right glove. His mark faintly glowing for unknown reasons. Half of him was expecting Cedar to pop up and ask him why he was crying a waterfall. Where he went, he did not know, but the other half just screamed to be alone.

When Noble looked at himself in the stream, he winced at the sight. So, he really was crying. His cheeks were red and his eyes were swollen. Even his brand had somehow disappeared in the mix. For the first time in weeks, Noble looked normal. His curly hair now a blonde puffed up on his head. His skin glowed, despite his cheeks being stained of tears. No horns arose from his skull nor did scales appear on his neck.

That's when he finally shrugged off his trusty red scarf. Stretching it out, nothing seemed to scream a magical scarf. He remembered what Herald had said. This was made of him, and when in his time of need, it would return to him no matter how far he was. Noble brought it to his face and sobbed, The smell of cinnamon and mint entered his nose, but the scarf brought him great comfort.

At least, in all his years of soul searching and breathing, this scarf had been the one thing he had at birth each time.

"Is it strange that I trust you more than anything else?" Noble whispered into the scarf.

"I do not think that's strange at all." A new voice caused Noble to jump. The man walked up to Noble and sat next to the tamer. Noble thought he had blocked himself from being found. How did he find him?

"It is strange, and I'm just talking to myself."

The man only chuckled. He wore a robe of one that only the finest craftsmen made. His hair was as dark as the sky at night, and his eyes were of the identical color of Noble's. The more noticeable trait of him was the lack of arm. Other than that, he seemed to be as normal as you can get a man to be, "Trust me, I know how people will just destroy your world, breaking it apart and crashing down your defenses. I know that very well. Sometimes, objects that are not living themselves are the most trustworthy."

"Why are you here trying to comfort me?" Noble questioned.

"Because you looked like you needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to. I do not know you nor do you know me. When people feel the need to be away from others, you will be surprised how a mysterious stranger can help," The man laughed, causing Noble to join in with him.

"I don't want to bother anyone with my internal problems, despite being informed that I can share them whenever," Noble began, "You cannot have problems or distress when someone as high as my role is. I have so many people demanding silently for this rebellion to end, and they don't even have to talk to tell me those demands."

The man crossed his legs, "But sometimes, you need to take a break. Some of the strongest of men cry even over the stupidest of issues. I shamefully admit that I have cried a lot in the past few years."

The more this man talked, the more Noble became bothered. Something about this man was oddly familiar to the beast tamer. The words he spoke, his strange movements, and his eyes staring right down in his soul.

"Even Gods need to relax." He turned his head towards Noble to see Noble was already staring back, "It's stressful to be a god, isn't it? Everyone, even elves, dwarves, and even demons, looks up at you for guidance that you are forced to give, whether if it's humane or not. Some ask for sacrifice, other peace, and prayer. It's by the gods stressful, almost so as being Warden of Hell."

Noble gulped, his tears now gone and his face puffy. of course, why didn't he think of him before? it was all too clear for Noble. He jumped up to his feet, following the male next to him. They stared into each other's eyes, Noble clearly taller than the other.

"I was the one to save your foster mother. I even found Aquarius!" The man started to tear up, "And what do I hear when I arrive here from the mission? My older brother has returned to his daughter, my niece. I just can't begin to fathom you alive after you were assassinated last cy--!"

"Hush now," Whispered Noble as he wrapped his arms around the god, "It's going to be alright."

"I know Mycarlo was going to 'introduce' us when I returned, but I simply could not wait," The man pulled back, wiping his years with the one sleeve, "I am Lord Idos Caeles of House Caeles, but you know by my true name."

He was . . . Cancer. He was the Shadow Exalt of the demon realm. He was, by Luna, the God of Darkness.

More importantly, he was his little brother.   

TO BE CONTINUED . . .   

I know guys, it's a pretty crappy ending, short too. This book is pure poop that I'm still proud to call COMPLETE. But Guys, Don't you worry! Guess who's writing a second book? After this chapter publishes, the prologue will be put up!

It's called Fly Til Dusk.

It follows a young boy by the name of Idos (Yeah, you heard right!) finally accepting his fate of following in his father's footsteps as Lord of one of the biggest Houses under Emperor Valider's court. But when he meets a certain demon dead set on spicing up his life, his normal dull world is thrown into chaos, finding out that he has a bigger role in Valider's demise.

I would also like to announce that there is another "second" book to this story. Upon popular demand, there is another story dedicated to these two. It does not follow the present line of books. That being said, it can be read at any time!

It's called The God of Courage.